Have you ever heard the term ‘busy as a bee?’
Most people have.
However, have you ever considered getting an up close look at how busy bees actually are? Well, if you haven’t, you should. Raising bees is becoming more popular by the day. It is an interesting hobby that has lots of benefits.
Today I want to share with you all of the reasons you should consider beekeeping.
However, before we do, please read this post about the dangers of beekeeping. We want you to be well-informed before making any decisions.
1. The Gold
The obvious reason many people keep bees is for the honey.
I was not aware of the taste difference until my husband and I began keeping our own bees. However, when you eat the natural honey versus the store-bought stuff, there is no comparison. Just ask other beekeepers if you don’t believe me.
Local raw honey does more than taste good. It can also help you to overcome your seasonal allergies.
If you need a reason to take the plunge, taste some natural honey, and you will see how great of an idea it is that you can actually have it being produced right out your back door.
2. This Is Your Bees’ Wax
The honey isn’t the only good thing brewing in your backyard hives. Their wax is great to have on hand too.
So what you can do with bee’s wax?
Well, you can make lip gloss, candles, and even bee’s wax gummy bears. If you are interested in more ideas here is a great resource.
After you extract your honey, don’t waste the wax. There is a whole different world waiting to be explored and created from it.
3. They Give Your Flowers A Boost
When we first got bees everyone told us to be prepared for our garden to get a huge boost.
They weren’t kidding.
When you get bees, understand that they will feed on your vegetables and flowers around your home (i.e. Pollination) and your flowers and vegetables will be happy for it.
If you are a gardener, farmer, or even just someone that likes pretty things growing in your yard then bees will be your new best friend.
4. They are I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T
Okay, those all sound great. However, some of you might think it’s not worth it to increase your workload just to get honey and beeswax.
Well, I understand. (Believe me!)
The good news about bees is that they are pretty well independent.
They prefer to be left alone.
Now, there are times when you will have to get into the hive and work with them. Such as when the hive will need to be split for crowding purposes. Here is a great resource to help you understand more about splitting hives.
Still, otherwise, they work by themselves and they feed themselves most of the year too (although you can make this easier too by open feeding).
Raising bees isn’t like taking on a new form of livestock. They are brilliant little creatures that work constantly and do it all themselves.
5. They Pay You Back And Then Some
Beekeeping can be a hobby that can turn into a pretty nice profit.
Beyond the fact that you can sell the honey and beeswax that your bees make, you can sell the bees itself.
See, your bees are really amazing creatures. They multiply like crazy. When they get too crowded you have to split their hives up which creates even more hives. It may sound bad but it’s actually good news because you can sell the new hives for a pretty nice profit.
And it cost you nothing to make it!
Now, how many hobbies do you know of that make you money instead of bleeding your wallet dry?
6. Beekeeping Is For Everyone
Beekeeping is something that can be for anyone…young or old.
So if you are retired and like the idea of having your own bees to get into since your schedule is a little more freed up, guess what? You can!
And if you have a child that is interested in beekeeping, it is something they can do too. (With adult supervision, of course.) Even if you are a middle of the road person who is still working full-time outside of the home, this hobby is for you too!
Beekeeping is different in that perspective, as it really is something the whole family can do together.
7. Bees Are Happy Anywhere
Do you live on a farm? The suburbs?
Or even in an apartment in the city?
Well, no matter where you live, you can probably keep bees. (With regard to local ordinances of course.) There really is no limit.
There are people that keep bees in closer quarters which are referred to as backyard beekeepers. They usually exist in the suburbs. And then you have your regular beekeepers that live in areas with more space. Then you even have apartment beekeepers who keep their bees on rooftops.
A lot of cities love it because they struggle with having enough pollination.
As long as you live in an area with flowering shrubs, trees, or plants then you can raise bees. It doesn’t matter how hot or cold your area gets. They are very resilient little creatures.
8. They Give You Medicine
Have you heard of propolis? If you are not familiar with it yet, propolis is what the bees use to glue everything together in their hive.
Not sure what I mean?
Well, when you open your hive where your bees have been working, you will have your frames hanging inside of it. The bees will be on those frames laying babies and making honey. You will need a hive tool to be able to break those frames apart to look at them.
However, the propolis can do a lot more than glue the bees’ hive together. It has a lot of health benefits for us too. It can help us fight cancer, prevent cavities, heal burns, and a lot more.
When raising your own bees you not only get a tasty treat out of the deal but also something that can easily be used for certain medicinal purposes.
9. You Are Helping To Save The Bees
The number of bees in the world has seriously decreased over recent years. The reason is because of Colony Collapse Disorder. And the weird part about Colony Collapse Disorder is we still don’t understand it all.
CCD is when worker bees abandon the hive.
They leave the queen, young immature bees, and nurse bees to take care of the brood. This leaves the hive open to parasites that will kill off the hive. The worker bees also won’t survive without their queen.
That is what makes CCD so perplexing.
It is against their natural instinct to just go off and leave their queen. And they have done it so much in recent years that the number of bees has taken a serious hit.
CCD is a serious problem.
Without bees, we have no pollination and, in turn, our food supply takes a serious hit.
If you’re not convinced yet, here’s an amazing video explaining the importance of bees and why they’re reducing greatly in number:
So raising bees and nurturing them helps to increase their numbers. And hopefully, if enough beekeepers get in the mix, together we could save the bees.
10. They Don’t Cost That Much
Have you purchased a cow lately? They are rather expensive.
What about a few goats and built a barn to provide the shelter? That can be expensive too, huh?
Well, in comparison, bees really aren’t that expensive. You will have to buy a good bee suit, a beehive, a smoker, a hive tool, and a startup nuc for you to get started.
Or you can look here to find DIY bee hives to help cut costs.
Or here to learn how to get bees for free!
However, even if you purchase it all, it should cost you $500 or less.
That may seem like a lot of money, but in reality, that kind of money gets sunk into other livestock regularly.
So to be able to raise a living creature that gives you quite a few products in return, doesn’t cost much in feed, and then pretty well takes care of itself. I don’t think we could ask for much more.
11. Bees Are Like A Day At The Spa
The first time I got into bees I was petrified. I was afraid of being stung. And it was terrible for the first 5 minutes or less. However, then, I began hearing their humming sound. Then they started bouncing up against my veil and landing on my bee suit.
It was then that those little creatures captured my heart.
I was stunned that they weren’t aggressive. It was quite the opposite. They were very curious (which is why they bump your veil.)
They just wanted to figure out who I was. It was then I realized how relaxing working with bees can be.
See, you have to move slowly when working with bees. And all you can hear is their beautiful sound which has a way of relaxing you.
So if you are looking for a relaxing hobby then beekeeping just might be it.
12. The Beehives Add Character
Who would’ve ever thought that bees would add some flare to your property?
However, they will.
When you get your hives, you can leave them white if you want to. Still, if you’re an artistic person, you can paint them amazing, bright colors. And it definitely has a way of making your property pop.
For instance, our hives are bright yellow right now with gray honeycomb patterns painted on them.
If that sounds like something artistic and fun that you’d like to have around your property then go for it!
Here is a great resource for fun hive painting ideas.
13. People Are Intrigued
When I first meet people and we strike up a conversation I often throw it out there that I’m a beekeeper. It is something fun and interesting to talk about. And I love getting people’s reactions. They are shocked and kind of scared.
Still, all at the same time, very interested in finding out more.
If you want to have an interesting conversation starter then become a beekeeper. You will be surprised how many fellow beekeepers you’ll run into. Or how many people have fond memories of their grandparents raising bees. Or simply, how many people are just curious about how you do it.
So there should never be a flat conversation when you become a keeper of the bees.
14. You Get To Wear A Cool Suit
You should always wear a bee suit when beekeeping.
I know you see some of these brave souls on YouTube that are out in their bees in a short-sleeved short. Well, they are much brave than I, and bees are usually pretty friendly.
Even so, you never know when you will accidentally squish one.
And you never know when one of your hives just might be in a mood.
Safety is always first and always the best option. The upside is the suits are really comfortable, and you get to look like a Martian for a little while.
15. You Become Intrigued By Nature
When you get out in your beehives, and you see the way they all work together to make this beautiful product, it is amazing. You can’t help but look around you more often. I can’t tell you the times I was working out in my garden this summer and caught myself smiling because my bees were out there feasting away with me.
You definitely become more aware of your natural surroundings.
And it makes you appreciate simple beauty.
Don’t be surprised when you find yourself smiling at a flower or a tree when raising bees. You see how it all fits together, and you appreciate it.
16. You Learn Fun Beekeeping Facts
Keeping bees has definitely made me more curious. These little creatures never really stop. And you wonder how they do it, why they do it, and how it all works.
I have learned some amazing facts about bees over my time doing beekeeping. For instance, I learned that bees never sleep.
Who would’ve thought?
However, it does explain why their life span is so short.
So if you’d like to insight curiosity within yourself or someone around you, get bees and start beekeeping.
Well, there you go, folks. There are 16 reasons you should at least be contemplating raising bees in your backyard (or somewhere close by.) They are amazing little creatures with a lot to offer.
